ITINERARY 02
Buddhist pilgrim/ Ramayana Trail Tour - 12 Days / 11 Nights
01
- Arrival at the Bandaranaike International airport Katunayake
- Meeting you on arrival – Our airport staff members will meet you and provide all assistance
- Transfer to Colombo – You will be taken by luxury bus to the commercial capital, Colombo, which is approximately an hour’s drive from the airport
- Check in at the hotel in Colombo
- Visit the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara ( 12 km. ½ hrs drive), which is believed to have been visited by Lord Buddha, thereby dating its origins to 500 BCE
- Visit Gangaramaya Buddhist temple in Colombo, which is a renowned centre of learning, with a relic chamber, museum, library and residential hall.
02
- Early breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Dambulla ( 148 km, approx. 3 hour drive), the 1st century BCE monastery built within a cave temple complex with over 150 statues and murals of Lord Buddha
- On completion, leave for Pidurangala.(27 km, approx. ½ hour drive), the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka, rising to a height of 2,524 m (8,281 ft)., offering a breathtaking view of Sigiriya
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Dambulla
03
- Early breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Aukana (35 km, approx. 1 hour drive) to see the 13 meters high, 5th century statue, Aukana Buddha.
- Proceed to the City of Anuradhapura (62 km, approx. 2 hour drive), which dates back to 245 BCE, boasting one of the most complex irrigation systems of the ancient world
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Anuradhapura
04
- Early breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Mihintale.(12 km, approx. ½ hour drive), where the son of the Indian Emperor Asoka, is said to have first met King Devamnampiyatissa around 250 BC, bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka
- Leave for Anuradhapura. Overnight stay at a hotel in Anuradhapura.
05
- Leave for ‘Tapo Wanaya’ in the morning, where you will be provided instruction in meditation by a senior monk or hermit.
- Leave for Anuradhapura by late evening
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Anuradhapura.
06
- Early breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Kandy.(138 km, 3 hour drive), on the way, visiting Aluviharaya temple, constructed in the 1st century BC by King Valagmba
- Leave for Kandy (25 km, approx. 1 hour drive) and check in at the hotel.
- By evening, tour the City of Kandy
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy
07
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya, with 300 varieties of orchids, spices, medicinal plants and the National Herbarium More…
- Visit the Sacred Temple of Tooth Relic
- Full day of leisure with overnight stay at a hotel in Kandy.
08
- Early breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Ella via Nuwara Eliya.
- Visit Nuwara Eliya (77 km, approx.3 hour drive), located 1890 meters above sea level, with a well-earned reputation as ‘Little England’. Visit Sita Eliya Temple dedicated to the memory of Sita, who was imprisoned by the demon King Rawana, according to Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic.
- Leave for Ella.
- Visit Ravana Ella caves, another location associated with Ramayana.
- Overnight stay at a hotel in Ella,
09
- After an early breakfast, leave for Maligawila (58 km, approx. 1 ½ hour drive) to view the 6th century AD, 42 feet heigh, free-standing crystalline lime stone-hewn Buddha statue .
- If time permits visit Buduruwagala to view the fifteen metre high, tallest standing Buddha statue in Sri Lanka.
- Leave for Kataragama (58 km, approx. 1 ½ hour drive), with its famed temples attracting Hindu and Buddhists temples attracting pilgrims of all faiths
- Check in at hotel in Yala for overnight stay
10
- After an early breakfast at the hotel, leave for the 2200 years old Situlpawwa Rock Temple (24 km, approx. 45 min. drive), which ranks among the earliest sites of Buddhist scholarship
- Leave for Mulkirigala rock temple ( 113 km, approx. 2 ½ hour drive), with its exquisite murals depicting various events in the history of the country More…
- Proceed to Wewrukannala (91 km, approx. 2 hour drive) to view the 160ft high statue of Lord Buddha, the largest in Sri Lanka, daring back to the reign of King Rajadhi (1782 – 1798)
- Check in at the hotel in Hambantota ( 77 km, approx. 2 ½ hour drive) for overnight stay
11
- Early breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for Kalutara (193 km, approx. 1 hour drive) to visit the imposing Gangatilaka Vihara, built in recent times, with a hollow interior and 72 depictions of the previous births of Lord Buddha
- Leave for Pahiyangala ( 35 km, approx. 1 hour drive), where the Chinese Buddhist priest, Fa Hsien, is said to have arrived in the 3rd century CE
- Leave for Colombo ( 80 km, approx. 2 hour drive) and check in at the hotel for overnight stay
12
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Leave for the airport for your departure. Our staff will accompany you to the Bandaranaike International Airport and help you complete all formalities.
